Ken Nieman, AADL’s outgoing associate director of finance, HR and operations, has taken a job as CFO of the public library in Sonoma County, California. His last day at AADL is May 2. (Photos by the writer.)

The proposed fiscal year 2014-15 budget – for the 12 months starting July 1, 2014 – is based on a levy of 1.55 mills, unchanged from the current rate. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels. The $12.568 million budget assumes a 2.4% increase in the district’s property tax base.

The board is expected to vote on the budget at its May 19 meeting.

Related to the redesigned downtown library’s front entrance, the board authorized the library director, Josie Parker, to hire a construction manager for the project. Board members also allocated $18,580 from the fund balance to pay InForm Studio for construction documents. InForm Studio, the architecture firm that previously designed AADL’s Traverwood branch, has been working on this project for several months. An update was given most recently at the board’s March 17, 2014 meeting.

Before taking action, the board heard from InForm Studio’s Cory Lavigne, who presented a revised design for the project, based on feedback from board members and the public. A large translucent sign that had previously been part of the design is now eliminated, after some board members voiced concerns about security issues that it might cause. A bench in front of the building – originally part of the proposed design – has been removed. Instead, a sign that’s low to the ground is proposed in that location.

The existing teal porcelain panels that wrap around the front facade, part of architect Alden Dow’s original design from the mid-1950s, will be replaced with a “concrete skin” panel. The entrance will continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. Leading from the front of the building into the vestibule will be two balanced double doors, which will be easier to open than the existing entry, and a single automatic door. A matching set of these doors will lead from the vestibule to the interior of the building.

Lavigne reviewed several other changes, some of which addressed accessibility concerns that were raised in the preliminary design. A heated sidewalk is proposed along the exterior edge of the steps.

The board spent several minutes discussing a suggestion from Ed Surovell, who wanted more than just one flagpole in front of the building. Trustees reached consensus for the details to be worked out by the architect and the facilities committee, on which Surovell serves. Other members of the facilities committee are Margaret Leary and Jan Barney Newman.

The April 21 meeting also marked some transitions in top administrative positions. Associate director Ken Nieman, who has worked at AADL for 14 years, has taken a job as CFO for the public library in Sonomo County, California. His last day at AADL will be May 2. That will also be the last day for human resources manager DeAnn Doll, who’s been with AADL for about 15 years. She has accepted a job as director of human resources for Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Florida.

Earlier this year, Celeste Choate – AADL’s former associate director of services, collections and access – was hired as executive director of the Urbana Free Library in Urbana, Illinois. She started that position on April 1.

At the April 21 meeting, AADL director Josie Parker noted that change is a constant, “and while we miss people, we look forward to the opportunities that change brings us.”

Downtown Library Front Entrance

The agenda included a resolution that took several steps on renovations of the downtown library entrance.

Rendering of the new design for the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building entrance. (Image by InForm Studio.)

It would authorize the library director, Josie Parker, to hire a construction manager for the project, and allocate $18,580 from the fund balance to pay InForm Studio for construction documents. InForm Studio, the architecture firm that previously designed AADL’s Traverwood branch, has been working on this project for several months. An update was given most recently at the board’s March 17, 2014 meeting.

Parker has previously expressed her intent that the cost of the project be kept under $250,000. Approval of the construction budget would come at a later date.

Margaret Leary, chair of the board’s facilities committee, told trustees that Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio met with the committee for a couple of hours on April 8. The committee – including board members Ed Surovell and Jan Barney Newman – had discussed feedback from a March 13 public forum as well as board discussions. Lavigne presented a revised design to committee members, who discussed it and made some tweaks. That design was now being brought before the board.

At the April 21 board meeting, Lavigne reviewed the new design, noting that many of the changes relate to handicap accessibility, safety, and aspects of maintaining the integrity of architect Alden Dow’s original design.

Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio.

The existing teal porcelain metal panels will be removed and replaced with a “concrete skin” rainscreen panel that wraps around the front. Exposed concrete and wood will be incorporated into the soffit of the existing canopy, to add some warmth and color to that element, he said, and to tie in with the brick on the building. Stainless steel will be used in some of the handrails and signs.

A large translucent sign that had previously been part of the design is now eliminated, after some board members voiced concerns about security issues that it might cause. A bench in front of the building – originally part of the proposed design – has been removed. Instead, a sign that’s low to the ground is proposed in that location. Some internally lit translucent material will be used in that sign, Lavigne said. There will also be ground lighting to illuminate the sign.

He described the sign as a design that’s “very civic and formal, and yet retains a new, modern edge which ties into the new materials that we’re using.” The sign will pick up on material in an existing greenish slate wall, using a bluestone material with a somewhat rough finish – with an unpolished surface.

The entrance will continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. Leading from the front of the building into the vestibule will be two balanced double doors, which will be easier to open than the existing entry, and a single automatic door that can be opened with a handicap-accessible panel. A matching set of these doors will lead from the vestibule to the interior of the building. The balanced doors would have a six-foot opening. The single door would have a three-foot opening.

Lavigne also described the sloped access to the entrance from Library Lane to the north. There will be stainless steel handrails on both sides of the walkway. The slope has about a 3% incline, he noted. Building code requires handrails for a 5% incline, but the library is choosing to put in handrails as a precaution, even though it’s not required.

On the south side of the building, coming from William Street, there will be a concrete retaining wall that curves around a flagpole and an address sign. New handrails will be installed on the sloping walkway, which has a 2.9% incline.

Margaret Leary, chair of the AADL board’s facilities committee.

A landscaping area on the northern side has been reconfigured, based on feedback from University of Michigan architecture professor Doug Kelbaugh. It will be edged with bluestone material to frame in the area, which will have native grasses and wildflowers that don’t require a lot of maintenance. Existing stormwater drainage will spill into the planter bed, so there will be no need for irrigation, Lavigne said.

The design calls for a heated sidewalk along the exterior edge of the front steps. The walkway under the existing canopy would not be heated – because there’s no need for it, Lavigne said.

Lavigne said that InForm Studio is talking with the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority about incorporating the public sidewalk in front of the entrance – on city property – into the project, to eliminate an “awkward” step up from South Fifth Avenue. “It’s quite a drop from the existing curb,” he noted.

AADL director Josie Parker stressed that InForm Studio, not the library itself, is discussing this possibility with the DDA. She noted that eliminating the step at the street would likely require adding another step on the library property – from three steps to four. “The grade has to come from somewhere,” she said.

Steps leading up to the entrance would have handrails at intermediate spots. The flagpole will be lit with an in-ground LED fixture, as would a sign providing the street address.

Lavigne said they’re also considering a new sign that would be high on the library’s west facade, and lit.

Downtown Library Front Entrance: Board Discussion

Barbara Murphy asked about the street address sign. It appeared to be bigger and more prominent than the sign with the AADL name, she said. “I would venture to say that 99% of the people in Ann Arbor, including library staff, have no idea what 343 means.” [The street address is 343 South Fifth Avenue.] She proposed that it be made less prominent than the sign with AADL’s name.

Nancy Kaplan asked for clarification about the front railings. Lavigne explained that there would be a handrail on the northern edge of the steps, next to the landscape plantings. Two additional handrails would line up with the entry doors, and a fourth handrail would be on the far south edge of the steps. The handrails will extend a foot beyond the edge of the steps at the top and bottom.

AADL trustees Rebecca Head and Ed Surovell.

Kaplan also asked about the cost of the balanced doors. Lavigne replied that they are about three times more expensive than regular doors. AADL director Josie Parker said the balanced doors are much easier to use. Because the downtown library entrance is heavily used, “we need the best doors that we can afford,” she said.

Ed Surovell proposed including additional flagpoles, rather than just one. The flagpoles could fly the U.S. flag, the state of Michigan flag, and then a possible third flag that might vary, he said. Responding to a query from Murphy, Parker reported that the existing flag flies continuously – it’s not taken down at night. Lavigne indicated that putting in three flagpoles would be possible.

Margaret Leary said she didn’t want to confuse people by flying the flag for the city of Ann Arbor. “We are in Ann Arbor, but we are not a city library,” she said. “I love the city flag – whatever it is – but the state, the U.S., and the AADL flags are fine with me.”

Surovell said the third flag could be the block M on University of Michigan game days, or flags representing the countries of visiting speakers. “There are lots of things you can do with it,” he said.

Kaplan noted that the proposed entrance design is very clean and uncluttered, and she didn’t want the flagpoles to interfere with that.

Trustees reached consensus for the details to be worked out by the architect and the facilities committee, on which Surovell serves. Other members of the facilities committee are Leary and Jan Barney Newman.

Downtown Library Front Entrance: Resolution

Margaret Leary read the proposed resolution. It authorized the library director, Josie Parker, to continue working with InForm Studio on the next phase of the project, and to hire a construction manager. The resolution also approved the allocation of $18,580 from the fund balance to pay InForm Studio for construction documents.

Barbara Murphy clarified that the construction manager would produce the estimated cost for completing the project. Leary noted that the board will be required to vote on the funding for that work.

Outcome: The resolution was passed unanimously.

2014-15 Budget

Ken Nieman – the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – presented the proposed fiscal year 2014-15 budget, which is based on a levy of 1.55 mills, unchanged from the current rate. The library’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

Ken Nieman.

He began by noting that the original draft budget had been based on a projected 1.5% increase in the tax base. But subsequently, Washtenaw County’s equalization report was released, showing that the increase in AADL’s district is 2.4% for 2014. So the board was provided with an updated budget summary based on that new information. [.pdf of updated draft budget summary] [.pdf of original draft budget, with additional line-item details] The budget reflects $12.568 million in revenues, up from $12.471 million in the current fiscal year.

The budget assumes a 2.4% increase in tax revenues, based on an increase in property values. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels.

The budget reflects a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees. Salaries, wages and benefits account for the largest portion of the budget expenditures – a projected $8.048 million in fiscal 2014-15. The budget also includes a 3% increase in the library’s contribution to employee health care costs. Other major line items include materials ($1.75 million); utilities ($448,000); programming ($320,000); and repair/maintenance ($312,000).

The legal expense line item is increasing from a budgeted $50,000 this year to $96,000 in FY 2014-15. That reflects the start of union contract negotiations, Nieman said.

He described it as “a fairly normal budget, as things go, since we stopped building buildings.” Nieman, who was attending his last board meeting, received a round of applause from trustees.

2014-15 Budget: Board Discussion

Barbara Murphy clarified with AADL director Josie Parker that a budget adjustment would be required when the board decides to move ahead with the front entrance renovation. The funding for that project would be drawn from the library’s fund balance.

Margaret Leary clarified with Parker that expenses for outreach, such as newsletters and other mailings to residents, would be included in the library programming line item, not the communications line item. The programming line item is increasing by $85,000 compared to the current fiscal year.

Ed Surovell asked about the impact of changes to the personal property tax. Nieman replied that at the AADL’s current levy of 1.55 mills, an elimination of the PPT – if it were not replaced in some way – would mean a loss of $635,000 in revenues. In August of 2014, voters statewide will be asked to approve a shift in “use tax” dollars that would replace the personal property tax revenue. Nieman said the 2014-15 budget assumes there will be no change in the amount of revenues related to the PPT.

Parker said that if any changes in projected tax revenues occur during the fiscal year, the library would tap its fund balance. For the next budget approval process, a year from now, one option would be to increase the library’s levy to make up the loss.

Parker noted that there’s an upcoming public forum on the PPT sponsored by the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce. The April 28 luncheon event starts at 11:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel, 3200 Boardwalk St. Speakers include state Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-District 18) and Mike Johnston, vice president of government affairs for the Michigan Manufacturers Association.

Outcome: This was not a voting item. The board is expected to vote on the budget at its meeting on May 19.

Audit Services

The board was asked to approve an extension of the audit services contract with the accounting firm Rehmann, for the period of a year beyond the hiring of a new comptroller. The extension would be until June 30, 2015 for a fee of $10,150. AADL director Josie Parker told the board that the contract extension comes in the context of Ken Nieman’s departure, to provide some continuity in the accounting process.

Outcome: Trustees unanimously approved the resolution regarding Rehmann’s contract extension.

Finance Report

Ken Nieman – the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – gave a brief report on the March 2014 financial statements. [.pdf of finance report]

Through March 31, the library has received 98% of its budgeted tax receipts for the fiscal year. The library had $11.038 million in unrestricted cash at the end of March, with a fund balance of $8.415 million.

Three line items – purchased services, software, and copier expenses – are over budget, but are expected to come back in line by the end of AADL’s fiscal year on June 30, according to Nieman. There was nothing out of the ordinary during the month, he said.

There were no questions for Nieman, but board members thanked him for his service to AADL.

Director’s Report

In addition to items in her written report, AADL director Josie Parker highlighted an award for environmental excellence in water quality protection that the library recently received from the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner’s office. Board president Prue Rosenthal read aloud some remarks from water resources commissioner Evan Pratt, describing why AADL had received the award. It included the fact that AADL has been a Community Partner for Clean Streams since 2004, and has helped educate the community about climate change, energy use, and threats to water quality.

From left: AADL director Josie Parker and board president Prue Rosenthal.

The library hosted a sustainability forum, in collaboration with the city of Ann Arbor, and has made a commitment to sustainable infrastructure design. The Malletts Creek, Pittsfield and Traverwood branches were designed to reduce environmental impacts. The Malletts Creek branch, for example, incorporates solar heat, natural daylighting, convection cooling and recycled materials. The branch’s landscaping, including a green roof, is designed for stormwater management.

Margaret Leary pointed out that the three branches highlighted in this award are the three new buildings constructed since 2004. “When we build new, we build environmentally wonderful buildings,” she said.

Parker also called out some parts of her written report. [.pdf of director's report] She highlighted visits from the vice director of China’s Heilongjiang Provincial Library, and the American Library Association president Barbara Stripling. Parker said she was proud that AADL was the host library for both those events in one week.

Library Stats

Each month, the board is provided with library statistics in five categories: Collections, users, visits, usage and participation. The data is compared to year-ago figures, when available. The information was presented by Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development.

AADL collections data: March 2014.

AADL users data: March 2014.

AADL visits data: March 2014.

AADL usage data: March 2014.

AADL participation data: March 2014.

Neiburger reviewed highlights of this information, and also showed the board about two dozen examples of Tweets that mentioned @aadl during the months of February and March. In response to a query from Ed Surovell, Neiburger said there are up to 10 Tweets a day that mention or favorite @aadl. In that case, Surovell said, “reading them is not an insurmountable task.”

Here are some examples mentioned in Neiburger’s presentation:

Tweet about AADL’s deal with Ghostly International.

Tweet about Go Ice Cream unveiling a vegan flavor at AADL.

Tweet highlighting David Erik Nelson’s Chronicle column about the library.

Committee Reports

The board has seven committees: communications, budget and finance, facilities, policy, director’s evaluation, executive, and strategic plan. Because membership on each committee consists of only three trustees, which is fewer than a quorum of the board, the meetings are not required to be open to the public under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. The board has the option of making its committee meetings open to the public, but has chosen not to do so.

On April 21, four committee reports were given – finance, communications, director’s evaluation, and facilities. The facilities committee report is included as part of this article’s section on the downtown front entrance design.

Committee Reports: Finance

Chair Jan Barney Newman said the committee hasn’t met since the previous board meeting, but will be getting together soon to review the budget before the May board meeting. Other committee members are Barbara Murphy and Nancy Kaplan.

Committee Reports: Communications

Chair Rebecca Head said the committee has now met with all city councilmembers to discuss issues related to the future of the city-owned Library Lane lot north of the downtown library. The committee also talked about results of the recent EPIC-MRA survey, which had been presented to the whole board on March 17, 2014. The committee discussed what the next steps will be. [.pdf of 2014 survey results] [.pdf of 2014 results compared to 2012] Head said the committee might hold off on that process until a replacement is hired for Ken Nieman, AADL’s associate director of finance, HR and operations. Nieman’s last day is May 2.

Other communications committee members are Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal.

Committee Reports: Director’s Evaluation

Barbara Murphy, the committee’s chair, reported that the group met to review a draft evaluation of AADL director Josie Parker. The May board meeting will include a closed session for the evaluation. The committee members are Murphy, Jan Barney Newman and Rebecca Head.

Administrative Transitions

Two top AADL administrators will be leaving the organization in early May. The departures were discussed at the board’s April 21 meeting.

From left: AADL trustees Nancy Kaplan and Barbara Murphy.

Ken Nieman, the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations, has taken a job as CFO for the public library in Sonomo County, California. AADL Josie Parker noted that they both started working at the Ann Arbor library 14 years ago. Parker was appointed director two years later, she said, and “Ken has pretty much taught me what I know about municipal finance and budgets.”

When she was offered the job of director, Parker asked Nieman if he’d stay at least a year longer to help with the transition. “He came here to solve a big giant problem, and he did it,” Parker told the board. “It never occurred to me that he’d stay, and he has – for a dozen years.” [Parker was referring to financial issues under the library’s previous leadership that included a deficit of nearly $1 million in 2000. Later that year, the library’s former financial director, Don Dely, was found guilty of embezzling $119,387 from the library from 1997 to 2000, according to a report in the Ann Arbor News.]

Prue Rosenthal said she’d miss watching Nieman’s face “when somebody is saying something that is not sensible, or is not smart, or is going on too long, or is upsetting him – which doesn’t happen often but does happen occasionally.” She thanked him for working with the board to help them understand the budget.

Nancy Kaplan, a member of the board’s finance committee, also thanked Nieman for his help, saying it was a pleasure to work with him.

Parker announced that human resources manager DeAnn Doll, who’s been with AADL for about 15 years, has accepted a job as director of human resources for Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Florida. Her last day will also be May 2.

Change is constant, Parker noted, “and while we miss people, we look forward to the opportunities that change brings us.”

Rosenthal characterized it as a “feather in the cap” for AADL to have its employees to move on to jobs at larger institutions. “And warmer climates,” quipped Jan Barney Newman.

Later in the meeting, the board also passed a resolution of appreciation for Patti Miller, who retired on April 11 after 18 years of service at AADL in the former acquisitions department, which is now called collections management.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell.

Next regular meeting: Monday, May 19, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

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Rendering of the new design for the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building entrance. (Image by InForm Studio.)

The board authorized the library director, Josie Parker, to hire a construction manager for the project. Board members also allocated $18,580 from the fund balance to pay InForm Studio for construction documents. InForm Studio, the architecture firm that previously designed AADL’s Traverwood branch, has been working on this project for several months. An update was given most recently at the board’s March 17, 2014 meeting.

Parker has expressed her intent that the project be kept under $250,000.

Before taking action, the board heard from architect Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio, who presented a revised design for the project. A large translucent sign that had previously been part of the design is now eliminated, after some board members voiced concerns about security issues that it might cause. A bench in front of the building – originally part of the proposed design –  has been removed. Instead, a sign that’s low to the ground is proposed in that location.

The existing teal porcelain metal panels that wrap around the front facade will be replaced with a “concrete skin” panel. The entrance would continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. Leading from the front of the building into the vestibule will be two balanced double doors, which will be easier to open than the existing entry, and a single automatic door. A matching set of these doors will lead from the vestibule to the interior of the building.

Lavigne reviewed several other changes, some of which addressed accessibility concerns that were raised in the preliminary design. A heated sidewalk also is proposed along the exterior edge of the steps.

The board spent several minutes discussing a suggestion from Ed Surovell, who wanted more than just one flagpole in front of the building. Trustees reached consensus for the details to be worked out by the architect and the facilities committee, on which Surovell serves. Other members of the facilities committee are Margaret Leary, chair, and Jan Barney Newman.

This brief was filed from the fourth-floor boardroom of the downtown library at 343 S. Fifth Ave. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

From left: AADL associate director Eli Neiburger, board president Prue Rosenthal, and board treasurer Jan Barney Newman.

On a 6-1 vote, the board asked the council to reject designating a portion of that city-owned site – which is adjacent to the downtown library – as a public park or plaza at this time. Nancy Kaplan cast the lone dissenting vote.

In presenting the resolution, Rebecca Head noted that the library hasn’t objected to the concept of open space at the Library Lane site, as part of overall development of that city-owned property. But the AADL board resolution states that the council resolution “does not allocate the City resources needed to create a successful park, such as physical maintenance, programming, and monitoring unsafe behavior; and … the City has not been able to allocate resources for those purposes to the nearby Liberty Plaza park, Wheeler park, Sculpture plaza on North 4th Ave., or the Kerrytown plaza. …”

Several trustees weighed in to support the resolution. Barbara Murphy said she was conflicted, because she supports having a park or plaza on the Library Lane site at some point. But the council resolution seemed to be putting the cart before the horse, she said. She pointed out that the AADL board resolution is not advocating for tall buildings – but some kind of development is needed, she said.

In dissenting, Kaplan described the long history of efforts to put a public park or plaza on the Library Lane site. She didn’t want to cut off that process. Kaplan also raised the point that the library board would be asking the council to reject a resolution without knowing the exact content of that resolution – because the council could amend the resolution during its deliberations later in the evening. [The council did make a significant amendment to the part of the resolution addressing the amount of square footage.]

Board president Prue Rosenthal told Kaplan that “I don’t think we’re trying to cut off anything.” All that the AADL is asking, Rosenthal said, is that issues should first be addressed – like how the park would be used, who’ll take care of it, how the security will be handled – “so that behavior we’ve seen around the outside of the [downtown library] building will not increase in that space and spill over into our library.”

AADL director Josie Parker attended the city council meeting, which started at the same time as the library board meeting but didn’t adjourn until 1 a.m. Parker read aloud the board’s resolution to the council, and described some of the challenges that the downtown library faces with security.

The downtown library was the focus of another part of the March 17 AADL board meeting, as trustees were updated on renovations to the front entrance. Ken Van Tine, an architect from InForm Studio, answered questions about possible design revisions since a March 13 public forum. InForm will be presenting a revised design to the board’s facilities committee, before the design is brought to the full board for approval.

Trustees also received results from an EPIC-MRA survey that the library had commissioned. About 500 respondents were surveyed in mid-February. Bernie Porn – president of the Lansing-based firm – described the outcome as “a great news poll, in terms of results, and I think you all should be very, very proud.” There are a couple areas of concern, he said, “but they’re not the kinds of things that can’t be overcome.”

The library previously did a survey in early 2012, in part to gauge public support for financing a new downtown library. The board later put a bond proposal on the November 2012 ballot to fund a new downtown building, but it failed to receive a majority of votes. Since 2012, the positive job rating for AADL has increased by 7 points – from 81% in 2012 to 88% in 2014. That’s a significant increase, Porn said. The 2014 survey also showed that only 3 in 10 respondents knew that AADL is “an independent governmental body” funded by its own separate tax assessment. This is one area of concern, Porn noted, adding that it’s certainly something that’s “solvable.”

The current survey results are expected to help guide development of the library’s next strategic plan, which will be completed later this year.

On March 17, the board also passed a resolution authorizing the library director to enter into a bike share program license agreement with the nonprofit Clean Energy Coalition. The CEC is managing the new program called ArborBike, which is launching this spring. It would include a bike station on AADL’s downtown library property on South Fifth Avenue, as well as locations at other sites in downtown Ann Arbor and on the University of Michigan campus. There will be about 14 bikes at the downtown AADL station on the north side of its property.

Library Lane Park

The Ann Arbor city council’s March 17 agenda included two resolutions related to the city-owned Library Lane site, where an underground parking structure is located just north of the downtown library on South Fifth Avenue. A new resolution directed the city administrator to take steps toward possibly selling the development rights for the top of the Library Lane structure. Another council resolution, proposed from its March 3, 2014 meeting, would designate a portion of the surface of the Library Lane underground parking structure in downtown Ann Arbor for an urban park that would remain publicly owned.

It was the second council resolution that prompted action from the AADL board on March 17.

Rebecca Head, chair of the board’s communications committee, reported that the committee had met with Ann Arbor city councilmembers and the mayor “to open up the communications pathway between the Ann Arbor District Library board and city officials.” Committee members are Head, Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal.

Head said that each councilmember was asked about their vision for downtown development and for the future of the city-owned Library Lane surface. At the end of those meetings, she said, the committee drafted a resolution in response to the city council resolution that focuses on the Library Lane lot. [.pdf of AADL resolution] [.pdf of council resolution at the start of its March 17 council meeting]

Head introduced the resolution from the floor – it had not been included with the original board packet. [At the March 17 council meeting, Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3) complained that he'd met with AADL board members, but that they had not indicated that they were contemplating passing a resolution.]

The resolved clause states:

That the AADL Board asks the Council to reject the Resolution until the entire site at 319 South Fifth Avenue receives a complete review by experts in zoning, land use, economic development, and others who can determine the highest and best use of the property; ensure the safety and security of AADL patrons; and consult with the owners and occupants of surrounding properties, downtown business owners, and other stakeholders Council may identify.

Library Lane Park: Board Discussion

Jan Barney Newman thought the resolution stated the board’s feelings very clearly and accurately regarding the aspects of development needed on that site for the safe, intelligent and productive use of the space. She supported the resolution.

AADL trustees Ed Surovell and Rebecca Head.

Barbara Murphy said she found herself somewhat conflicted, because she strongly supports the concept of some sort of open space there. But in some ways, she said, the cart is being put before the horse. The council resolution talks about creating a park there of a certain size without addressing the various issues of how it will be handled financially or in terms of security, she noted. Further, the council resolution makes a suggestion that the library be part of programming the site, she said, but there’s been no consultation about that.

Murphy supported the AADL resolution, but hoped that the council would take it in the spirit in which it’s intended – that the board is cautious about the council moving too quickly and approving something without full details.

Margaret Leary said the communications committee drafted the resolution very carefully. “We didn’t want to overstate AADL’s position,” she said. AADL never objected to the plans from 2007-2008 that showed a plaza on that site, Leary noted. The library board also reviewed the report that the city’s park advisory committee had passed in the fall of 2013 – which called for a plaza at Library Lane – and trustees didn’t object to that.

The intent when the Library Lane parking structure was built was to create a plaza in conjunction with development on that site, Leary said. The city went to the trouble of rezoning that property as D1 – rather than public land – so that a very large, tall building could be put there, she noted. The idea was to surround the plaza with buildings that would be filled with people as much of the day and night as possible, seven days a week, in order to activate the park or plaza. The park would be activated by the presence of the buildings, she said.

The second important piece of that approach is that the city wouldn’t have to pay for the park or maintain it, Leary said. The developer and owner of the buildings surrounding the park or plaza would see the advantage of having it, and it would be sized appropriately for the number of people who might use it. There would be activities planned on it “so that it would not become a lounging area for people who had no place else to go,” Leary said. Her hope is that the site will be developed as originally planned, and that it won’t be an expense for the city at all.

Murphy responded, pointing out that the AADL resolution doesn’t mention tall buildings or indicate support for that. Murphy said she agreed with Leary that the plaza or park should be activated by something, but not necessarily by tall buildings.

The Library Lane parking deck is highlighted in yellow. The name “Library Lane” is based only on the proximity of the structure to the downtown location of the Ann Arbor District Library. The library does not own the structure or the mid-block cut-through. (Base image from Washtenaw County and City of Ann Arbor GIS services.)

Nancy Kaplan said this resolution had caused her to do some homework. She noted that the proposal for a park or plaza on the Library Lane site has been on the city’s agenda for a long time. She pointed to a 1991 Luckenbach/Ziegelman report that looked at development of the entire block. [.pdf of Luckenbach/Ziegelman report] The report includes a concept drawing for a park or plaza on South Fifth Avenue, in addition to Liberty Plaza at Liberty and Division, she noted. Kaplan read from the report, which stated that a park or public open space should be developed on the South Fifth Avenue side: “Downtown is almost totally devoid of grass. There is no grass to sit on or eat lunch. No grass for young children to play on. No grass to provide a welcome change of ground plane from the concrete, brick and asphalt of downtown.”

Kaplan said she gives this report a lot of credibility because the authors included Carl Luckenbach, the architect who designed the AADL’s Malletts Creek branch as well as initial plans for a new downtown library. He was also the architect for the Library Lane underground parking structure, she noted.

The city’s park advisory commission report is another factor, Kaplan said. PAC’s report came about after the Connecting William Street study, when the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority stated that they “don’t do parks,” Kaplan said. So the city council asked PAC to study the issue. Kaplan said PAC’s process was very good, and included meeting with specific groups as well as the general public. PAC also did a survey, she said.

PAC’s recommendations state that “any new downtown park or open space should prioritize community preferences,” Kaplan noted. She read from the PAC report: “The Library Lot is large in size and has a central location that was ranked highest by survey and public meeting participants alike for potential park space.” She said PAC acknowledged that programming and maintenance would be needed.

Finally, Kaplan pointed out that the AADL board isn’t at the city council meeting, “so we do not know precisely what will be proposed, how it will be modified, whether it will be voted up or down or postponed.” There are two council resolutions that are on the agenda that night, she noted – to designate an urban park location, and to use a broker to sell the property. The library board doesn’t know how deed restrictions or premiums might be used to get commitments that would benefit both the park and the developer, she said.

Those people who support a park on the site want it to be successful and safe, Kaplan said. “I think it is not necessary to cut off all that has been done to study the Library Lot.” Rather, the process should continue with participation from all the property owners and the community, she said. Kaplan concluded by saying she wouldn’t support the resolution.

Prue Rosenthal responded, saying “I don’t think we’re trying to cut off anything.” All that the AADL is asking, she said, is that issues should first be addressed – like how the park would be used, who’ll take care of it, how the security will be handled “so that behavior we’ve seen around the outside of the [downtown library] building will not increase in that space and spill over into our library.” Rosenthal thought the council resolution actually cuts off the possibility of making the most out of that site.

From left: AADL trustees Margaret Leary and Nancy Kaplan.

Kaplan said the council resolution merely designates the space as a park. The community has supported that, she said – even architects and engineers. She noted that the resolution being brought forward by councilmember Stephen Kunselman would direct the city administrator to hire a broker to start the process of developing that site.

Head told Kaplan that she appreciated the history Kaplan had highlighted – “in particular the report from 23 years ago, though I have to say that a lot has changed in Ann Arbor in 23 years, including the use of Liberty Plaza.” Head was very concerned about what happens in Liberty Plaza, saying she knows it’s not a sustainable park. The whole point of the AADL resolution is that “we are for parks,” Head said. Although it’s the city council’s business, “it has a huge effect on the downtown library.” So the AADL resolution asks that the city do its homework first, she said, “and then let’s have a park – that would be great.”

If there’s a park at the Library Lane site, Head said she wanted it to last. “I don’t want it to be a park that isn’t used, that has problems, that is not sustainable. I want a sustainable park that we can all use.”

Murphy said Kaplan had brought up an interesting point about the uncertainty of the council’s action – because it’s not clear what the council resolution will ultimately be. She wondered if the AADL resolution should be amended, asking the council to exercise extreme caution in moving forward until the entire site receives a complete review. That might be a way of letting the council know how concerned the library board is, without opposing a specific council resolution, she said.

Newman noted that the council resolution called for a park along the entire western edge of the Library Lane site, along South Fifth Avenue. She said she’s read opinions from planners and architects who say that would be a detriment to any other development on the site.

In fact, the council resolution was amended later in the evening on March 17. Council deliberations highlighted the question of whether the public area would take up the entire Fifth Avenue frontage. The idea of a cantilevered building over the northwest corner of the site was championed by Kunselman as one approach. The city council’s key resolved clause, as adopted at the Mach 17 states:

Resolved, That City Council approve the reservation of the site for an urban public park of between approximately 6,500 and 12,000 square feet on the surface of the Library Lane Structure bounded by the Fifth Avenue sidewalk on the west, the Library Lane Street curb to the south, the western entry to the central elevator to the east, with the northern boundary to be determined at a future date;

Newman said the mayor had made a very interesting proposal of connected green areas on city properties, “which would give a lot of opportunity for gathering and meeting in a public grassy area in a number of locations,” she said. [Mayor John Hieftje made that presentation at the council's March 3, 2014 meeting.] As long as those proposals are being considered, Newman added, it’s really premature to designate the Library Lane site as a park. The library is interested in careful planning of a permanent public space.

At this point, Leary called the question – a procedural move to end debate and force a vote.

Outcome: On a 6-1 vote, the board passed a resolution opposing the city council resolution about designating a portion of the Library Lane site as a park. Nancy Kaplan dissented.

Library Lane Park: City Council Action

Later in the evening, the council did amend its resolution during a lengthy and sometimes heated debate.

AADL director Josie Parker before the start of the March 17, 2014 city council meeting.

Sabra Briere (Ward 1) brought forward an amendment to the first resolved clause, describing the site as a public space, publicly owned, of at least 6,500 square feet, with the northern boundary to be determined at a future time. The original resolution, developed by Jack Eaton (Ward 4) in collaboration with the Library Green Conservancy, had designated 12,000 square feet as the size, running across the entire western edge of the Library Lane site, along South Fifth Avenue.

The council’s discussion included remarks by AADL director Josie Parker, who attended the council meeting and was called upon by mayor and other councilmembers to comment. She read aloud the AADL board’s resolution.

In her initial remarks to the council, made at the invitation of mayor John Hieftje during the council’s deliberations, Parker described the current challenges faced by the library in managing its space. She rejected the idea of labeling the problem as one related to the homeless.

And I would just like to point out to all of us here tonight that the public library in Ann Arbor is actually the only public building in the community that is a park within walls. All of the conditions that exist in a public space outside every day exist every day inside the public library.

It takes a lot of money to manage that space in such a way so that everyone there is comfortable, everyone there is safe. And it isn’t about a label. You have not heard me use a word used here tonight multiple times by many of you. You’ve never heard me use that word in expressing concern of the public library board about the existence of a public park next to the public library.

It’s about behavior. Any group that tilts the balance of a public space out of proportion to anyone else in that space can cause a disruption and discomfort. A teenager. A lot of crying babies. Anyone. It is not about a condition. I will say to you this evening, because I’m compelled, some of the most obnoxious behavior exhibited at the public library in Ann Arbor is done by persons who are very well housed, very well fed, and very well educated. It is not about those things. It is just about simply behavior.

Later during the council’s March 17 meeting, Parker was asked again to take the podium by Chuck Warpehoski (Ward 5). In her second set of remarks, Parker was more explicit about some of the worst behavior: heroin use. She cited security concerns, and pointed out that the police are already called to the downtown library every three days or so. “We manage it, and you don’t know about it, and that makes it successful,” Parker told the council.

Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3) had characterized the AADL board’s position as “fear mongering,” and Parker’s remarks in part responded to that characterization:

There have been five heroin ODs in the public library in the three and half years – the last one in the last five months. This is your public library. Your downtown public library. This is not fear mongering. This is real. … It isn’t about adding a problem, it isn’t about making a problem worse. It’s about acknowledging reality. It’s just a reality.

Most of the issues currently in the public library are drunk and disorderly. … Right now, it’s probably every day that someone is removed from the library by the police department for drunk and disorderly, almost every day. This is your downtown public library. …

We’re not saying “no park.” We’re saying take the time to plan it properly in the context of what is truly occurring downtown. … You have heroin in your community and no one wants to talk about it. It’s being sold in the public library, it’s being used in the public library. And people are being taken out unconscious OD’d in the public library. … We are asking you to think about this again. We are asking you to make sure you have the funds to manage what you’re planning, so it is a success.

I think a park with playground equipment and fountains for the little children who come in and out of the library sounds wonderful. I can’t imagine my child playing in a playground with needles on the ground. Unless someone is cleaning them up every morning, the way they do in Liberty Plaza, that’s what will be there. … We’re asking you to plan the same way, so that if a plaza or park is near the public library, it’s successful.

After about 2.5 hours of discussion, the council voted 7-3 to pass the urban park resolution as amended. Dissenting were mayor John Hieftje, Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) and Margie Teall (Ward 4). Sally Petersen (Ward 2) was absent.

The council also passed the resolution directing the city administrator to obtain brokerage services and to list the surface of the Library Lane deck for sale. A key “whereas” clause and two of the “resolved” clauses read as follows:

Whereas, Developing the public space at the same time the site is developed will provide for increased activity, safety, and security; limit nuisance behavior at this public space; provide potential funding for public space features and programming; and have a responsible private entity for ongoing maintenance and
…
Resolved, That the City will seek, as conditions for development rights at a minimum, public open space, private maintenance of the public space, and pedestrian access to the public space as features of any private development;

Resolved, That implementation of the conditions for development rights will be determined by City Council through selection of the purchase offer that best responds to mixed-use, density, integration with surrounding uses, and public space and through the City’s established site plan procedures and policies;

The phrase “public space” sometimes is meant to include publicly-accessible, but privately-owned space. Kunselman responded to an emailed query about his intended interpretation of “public space” by writing: “It’s meant to give the broadest interpretation so as to solicit the widest range of interest by prospective purchasers.”

A report on deliberations at the council meeting is included in The Chronicle’s live updates from city hall during the March 17 meeting.

Downtown Library Entrance

The AADL administration and board have been seriously discussing renovations to the downtown library’s front entrance since the summer of 2013, prompted by concerns about the poor condition of the entrance doors. The board’s facilities committee – Margaret Leary, Jan Barney Newman and Ed Surovell – have been taking the lead from the board’s perspective.

Revised design for a sign on the renovated entrance to the downtown AADL building. (Image from InForm Studio.)

At its Feb. 19, 2014 meeting, the full board was briefed about initial concept designs for the entrance. The project’s architect is InForm Studio, the architecture firm that previously designed AADL’s Traverwood branch.

The entrance would continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. The initial plans called for replacing the existing strip of teal panels that wrap around the front of the building – above the doors and windows – with a “concrete skin” panel. Wood paneling would be used in the ceiling of the outside walkway adjacent to the building. Sloping entry walkways would be located on the north side from the Library Lane parking structure and on the south side from William Street, with steps in front leading to South Fifth Avenue. Additional elements include landscaping, a bench, handrails and other features that visually link the library to the adjacent city-owned Library Lane.

One of the most dramatic elements of the original design was a large, translucent sign – made of glass or cast resin – that would be placed between existing brick columns on the north side of the front facade, closest to Library Lane. The idea was for the sign to be lit from the inside, with additional lighting along the walkway, to create a glowing effect. Some board members expressed concerns about that sign and the potential to create security problems, since it would screen a portion of the walkway.

Subsequently, a public forum was held on March 13 to get feedback. At that meeting, new versions of the design were presented that changed the size and location of the sign. Other revisions were made to the front steps and the color of the horizontal strip on the front facade.

Downtown Library Entrance: Facilities Committee Report

At the board’s March 17 meeting, Margaret Leary, chair of the facilities committee, said she wanted to address an issue that was raised during the March 13 public forum to get input on the proposed renovations to the front entrance. Some people had advocated to move the front entrance from the building’s west side, facing South Fifth Avenue, to the north side, facing Library Lane. She said she had previously reported to the board about the facilities committee’s deliberations on that issue. From The Chronicle’s report of the Feb. 17, 2014 meeting:

The first thing that InForm was asked to do, Leary said, was to look at whether the entry should remain at its current orientation, facing South Fifth Avenue on the west, or be moved to the north of the building, facing the Library Lane underground parking structure. Leary noted that a north entrance would have been used if the library had built a new building.

But when the committee considered the consequences of moving the entrance now, in terms of the amount of usable space on the first floor, they decided against it. It would have taken all the space used by the existing teen room, she said, and the entire first floor would have been reorganized, as well as possibly some things in the basement and other floors.

People at the March 13 forum had asked about that decision, Leary noted, so she wanted to expand on the rationale for it. The idea of orienting the entrance to the north first emerged during the city’s planning for the adjacent Library Lane underground parking structure and discussion of the potential development on top of that structure, she said. That discussion was in conjunction with talks about how a potential new AADL building might mesh with whatever might be developed on the Library Lane site. Neither of those two possibilities – a new AADL building, or new buildings on top of the Library Lane structure – appear imminent, Leary said, so the reason for orienting the library’s entrance to the north no longer exists.

Will Hathaway, a member of the Library Green Conservancy, addressed the AADL board at a March 13, 2014 public forum about the downtown library front entrance. He asked the board to consider re-orienting the entrance to the north side, facing Library Lane.

Despite these circumstances, Leary continued, the AADL asked InForm Studio last fall to look at the possibility of moving the entrance to the building’s north side. The facilities committee learned that it would not be easy or inexpensive, she said. There are grade changes running in two directions on the site, she explained – from north to south, and east to west. That means that a new entrance on the north side, in order to be accessible, would require using much of the interior of the building on that side, where the teen room is now located. It would require complex structural changes instead of cosmetic changes to the west side.

In addition, putting the entrance to the north would require moving the teen room, Leary said, which would add to the cost and perhaps create a “cascading effect of moves” of other operations within the first floor and possibly the basement.

Leary also pointed out that installing a new entrance to the north would result in a disruption of operations for a significant period. The overall cost of undertaking this project would run into the millions, she said. This is based on AADL’s experience with earlier renovations and with cost estimates obtained in 2010 and 2011 for renovating the building. That compares to an estimated cost of a few hundred thousand dollars for the west entrance renovations, she said.

More importantly, Leary said, renovating the existing entrance will better serve AADL’s current patrons, who arrive from the north, south and west in about equal numbers. Putting the entrance on the north would effectively hide it from patrons arriving from the south or coming from the University of Michigan along William, she said. The improvements to the current entrance will also improve accessibility from the north, Leary said.

The current orientation to the west is appropriate for the library and for adjacent sites, Leary concluded. “An entrance on the north would be both expensive and impractical.”

Downtown Library Entrance: Revised Design

Ken Van Tine, one of the principals from InForm Studio, attended the March 17 meeting to answer questions about the updated version of the design.

Ken Van Tine of InForm Studio.

Barbara Murphy noted that the board had received several communications about the front entrance. One that struck her in particular was from a2modern, a group created to highlight mid-century modern architecture in Ann Arbor. Members of a2modern feel that any changes to the front will destroy Alden Dow’s original design concept. Her personal view, Murphy said, is that by making two large additions and various other changes over the years, “the building is not what it once was, and it doesn’t have any particular historic value.” She was curious about Van Tine’s opinion on that issue.

Van Tine replied that he had a lot of respect for Alden Dow. Dow was very innovative and progressive for his time, and was always on the forefront of architecture. “Do I think he’d want to stay set in his ways? No, I don’t think he really would,” Van Tine said.

The porcelain panels on the front facade probably aren’t what Dow would have selected if he’d had his choice, Van Tine said. Dow typically used copper, so the selection of porcelain was probably a budget issue – that was Van Tine’s speculation.

The a2modern members had also raised concerns about changing the color of those panels. Van Tine said keeping the same color would be fine. Rebecca Head said her understanding is that the colors have changed significantly over the years – the original color was teal, she said, and now it’s turquoise. Van Tine noted that exposure to the sun plays a big role in changing colors and fading.

Nancy Kaplan reported that Doug Kelbaugh – an architect and professor at the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Urban Planning – had also spoken at the March 13 forum and had been in favor of keeping the teal porcelain panels. Prue Rosenthal disputed Kaplan’s characterization of Kelbaugh’s remarks, saying it wasn’t about keeping those specific panels. Rather, she said, he objected to the possibility that a new sign would cover part of the panels.

The Chronicle attended the March 13 forum. Here’s what Kelbaugh had to say:

I think this design has a lot of very nice nuances and subtle details that really do enhance the entrance. Speaking to this question of respecting and honoring Alden Dow’s initial intentions and his design, I think people are right to say that this horizontal band is important. I think it’s a distinguishing feature. So I actually don’t think it’s a good idea to put the sign on it, to be honest with you. On the other hand, I don’t think it’s possible to replace the enamel panels in a color that would exactly match. It’s a very tricky technology and I think that to get it to match, particularly as it’s weathered so long, would be difficult. So I think maybe the whole band would have to be done, either in an enamel or some other sympathetic material. So I agree with that.

I too was worried … about the translucent panel blocking and making the ramp up a little too hidden from public view, and I’m wondering if that could be solved simply by making it transparent rather than translucent. Above eye level it could be translucent with a sign, and it could either bleed slowly into transparency or at a line. I think it’s possible to have the original glass pylon in a way that doesn’t interrupt the horizontal band, that is a nice feature without making it a security risk at all.

I think the bench is beautifully designed and the ramp to the south is very elegant as well. I’m wondering if the little triangular piece of grass sticking out … is going to get trampled to death. A lot of people are going to want to turn that corner to go down Library Lane. I would consider pulling that back, which makes the ramp more accessible to everybody, not just people who are physically challenged. I think it’s going to be tough to maintain. I think all of these issues could be addressed and I applaud the library for going ahead.

As for an entrance on the north side, it would be wonderful. I think that awaits a bigger renovation. This is pretty cosmetic. There probably should ultimately be an entrance on the north, but I think at this point it would be premature. It’s quite possible that the future will hold opportunities to make a really good entrance on the north, rather than a sort of compromise one.

At the March 17 AADL board meeting, Kaplan wondered if InForm had revised its design based on suggestions made at the March 13 public forum, especially regarding rails and signs in Braille. Would the board be seeing another iteration?

Margaret Leary responded, saying that the facilities committee had discussed the major items from that forum. The committee has asked AADL director Josie Parker to talk with the architects about three things in particular: (1) the addition of a second handrail; (2) signs; and (3) the front bench. The architects haven’t been specifically been asked to do anything yet, Leary said.

Van Tine said he’s aware of some of the issues but there aren’t any new designs yet. “What we’ve done so far is very conceptual,” he added. “There’s nothing written in stone.” Everything is very flexible at this point.

Murphy asked about maintaining access during construction. Would the current front entrance remain open? Van Tine replied that they’d likely close off half of the entrance, but the other half would remain open.

In terms of process, Leary said that InForm will develop a new plan after talking with Parker, and that plan will be reviewed by the facilities committee before coming to the board for approval.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

EPIC-MRA Survey Results

Bernie Porn, president of EPIC-MRA, gave a presentation to the board about results from a recent survey conducted for the library.

Bernie Porn, president of EPIC-MRA.

By way of background, at its Jan. 20, 2014 meeting, the board had approved a budget adjustment of $25,000 for a satisfaction survey of 500-600 library district residents, to be conducted by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA.

The library previously did a survey in early 2012, in part to gauge public support for financing a new downtown library. The board later put a bond proposal on the November 2012 ballot to fund a new downtown building, but it failed to receive a majority of votes.

In general, the new survey measured the public’s recognition of AADL’s products and services, the regard for AADL as a public institution in the region, and the avenues by which people obtain information about the library. Results will help inform the library’s next long-term strategic plan. The current strategic plan runs through 2015.

In presenting the summary on March 17, Porn described it as “a great news poll, in terms of results, and I think you all should be very, very proud.” There are a couple areas of concern, he added, “but they’re not the kinds of things that can’t be overcome.” [.pdf of 2014 survey results] [.pdf of 2014 results compared to 2012]

The 500-sample survey was conducted between Feb. 9-15. The process involved randomly selecting commercially listed telephone numbers as well as cell phone numbers, stratified so that each area of the district in terms of population was reflected in the sample. It’s a plus-or-minus 4.4 error rate, with a 95% confidence level. Participants were adult residents of the Ann Arbor Public Schools district, which has the same boundaries as AADL. Porn noted that the survey didn’t screen for registered voters. Of all respondents, 63% were residents of Ann Arbor, 20% were residents of Pittsfield Township, and 17% were residents of all other parts of the district.

Key survey findings include:

• Since 2012, the positive job rating for AADL providing library services increased by 7 points – from 81% in 2012 to 88% in 2014. That’s a significant increase, Porn said.
• There was a 17 point increase in the percentage of households that use AADL facilities/programs – from 61% in 2012 to 78% in 2014.
• Only 3 in 10 respondents knew that AADL is “an independent governmental body” funded by its own separate tax assessment. This is one area of concern, Porn noted, but it’s certainly something that’s solvable.
• Only 2 in 10 households had no members who use any AADL facilities or services.
• Nearly half of households with no members who used AADL said the top reason for not using it was “having the Internet at home” or “getting everything they need online.”
• Top AADL services used were: book loans (35%); DVD-video (13%); and Internet access (6%).
• Less that 3 in 10 knew that AADL subscribes to databases and online services like Brainfuse Homework Help, Ancestry.com and Reference USA Business Databases.
• More than 6 in 10 were aware of the events, exhibits and classes described to them. Among those who were aware, 3 in 4 said one or more household members attended such events or activities, and 58% offered the highest satisfaction rating.
• The best ways respondents said to communicate with them is e-mail, the AADL website, direct mail and newspapers.
• 12% said the “library” is a local government service that provides the most value for taxes paid, with “school-education” (20%) and “police-public safety” (13%) scoring higher.
• With the growth of computers and the Internet, 52% said libraries are about the same importance as before, 35% said libraries are more important, with 13% saying less important.

Porn’s presentation, which lasted about 45 minutes, reviewed these and other results in more detail, including a demographic breakdown of responses. [.pdf of EPIC-MRA presentation]

When respondents were asked about the level of taxes for all government services – a standard question in all surveys, Porn said – 29% said that taxes were too high, while 57% said taxes were “about right” and 6% indicated taxes were “too low.” He said that when “too high” responses are over 30%, it indicates that taxpayers are less persuadable for a tax increase. Taxpayers are most receptive when responses are in the teens or low-20s, he said. Tax proposals are very difficult to pass when percentages of “too high” responses are in the 40% range or higher.

Barbara Murphy said she was “flabbergasted” by the number of respondents who said taxes were about right or too low. “That’s not who comments in the newspaper,” she said.

Porn then showed responses about the level of taxes specifically for AADL. Of respondents, 16% indicated that taxes were too high for AADL, compared to 67% who said taxes were about right and 11% who said taxes for AADL were too low. “People see value clearly from the taxes they pay for their library,” he said.

Porn showed demographic breakdown for respondents who said that taxes for AADL were too high. Highlights included: 26% were age 50 or older with no college education; 35% said they didn’t use libraries or used libraries other than AADL; 37% thought taxes were too high in general for local government/schools; 22% thought AADL was part of city government, used the library few times a year, or have incomes over $100,000.

“You can target these groups and provide educational information that may help them feel less negative toward taxes,” Porn said. He added that those weren’t really negative numbers.

EPIC-MRA chart of recent survey results for a question about AADL taxes.

Porn reviewed how respondents thought AADL was funded: 30% knew that AADL was an independent governmental body with its own separate property tax assessment. But 23% thought AADL was a division of Ann Arbor city government and paid for from tax revenue received by the city, and 12% thought it was part of the Ann Arbor public schools and funded from tax dollars allocated to the local school operating budget.

“The problem that you run into because of this uncertainty is that when you do have a situation in the future … when you’re looking at renewing taxes or increasing taxes for services, if people feel that you’re competing with other levels of government and not an entity unto yourself, that can cause them to think that a vote for the library is taking something away from these other people that they inaccurately believe are a source of your funding,” Porn said. “That is probably the one thing in the survey that you need to address – and I think it can be addressed with branding and information that your communications folks can put together.”

By way of background, in 1994, Proposal A changed the state law so that public school systems could no longer operate public libraries using the school millage. When that happened, the Ann Arbor Public Schools and city of Ann Arbor moved to form the Ann Arbor District Library as a separate entity. In 1995, voters approved the establishment of the AADL with an independent governing board. At the same time, voters authorized a 2.0 mill tax in perpetuity to operate the library system – the millage does not require renewal. Due to the state’s Headlee Amendment, that 2.0 mills has been rolled back over the years to about 1.92 mills, which is now the maximum amount that AADL can levy each year. However, the library currently levies only a portion of that amount – 1.55 mills. The millage rate is authorized each year as part of the library’s budget cycle. The AADL did seek a separate 30-year millage in 2012 as part of a bond proposal to build a new downtown library. A majority of voters rejected that initiative.

Ed Surovell wondered if there was any correlation between home ownership and the understanding about how AADL is funded. Porn replied that the survey didn’t ask whether respondents were renters or homeowners. Porn said he’d be in favor of asking that question in future surveys.

Margaret Leary noted that last fall, the city of Ann Arbor had paid for a survey by an outside agency that does surveys nationwide for municipalities. It provided comparative information to other cities. [National Citizens Survey was conducted for the city in the fall of 2013 by mailing a questionnaire to a random sample of 3,000 city residents, 778 of whom completed surveys. .pdf of draft Ann Arbor National Citizens Survey report and .pdf of responses, benchmarks, methodology and questionnaire]

Porn described that type of survey as, to a large extent, a “cookie cutter survey that does not give a great deal of customization.” Leary said she understood that, but in exchange you get comparative data.

Leary asked how Porn would compare the accuracy and validity of surveys like the National Citizens Survey and the EPIC-MRA survey to a SurveyMonkey survey with self-selected respondents that didn’t monitor how many times any individual could respond, and that didn’t let the entire community know about it.

Porn replied that self-selection leads to the same phenomenon as people who write to their legislators – people who are passionate about a particular issue, either for or against it.

Leary asked a more pointed question: Can you make public policy based on a SurveyMonkey survey? Porn indicated that it was not a good idea to do that.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Bike Share Agreement

On the March 17 agenda was a resolution authorizing the library director to enter into a bike share program license agreement with the nonprofit Clean Energy Coalition. [.pdf of bike share agreement]

The CEC is managing a new bike share program called ArborBike, which is launching this spring. It would include a bike station on AADL’s downtown library property on South Fifth Avenue, as well as locations at other sites in downtown Ann Arbor and on the University of Michigan campus. There will be about 14 bikes at the downtown AADL station on the north side of its property.

The AADL board had been briefed on the program at their Aug. 19, 2013 meeting, and received an update about the agreement on Feb. 17, 2014. The library has been waiting for the University of Michigan to finalize its agreement with the CEC, before moving forward with an agreement that would require board approval.

Margaret Leary, chair of the board’s facilities committee, reported that the committee had met earlier in the day and supported the agreement. The library’s attorney has reviewed the agreement and has stated that it is fair and protects the library from liability issues, she said. The agreement also has adequate provisions for the library to get out of it if necessary, Leary noted. The bike share program seems like a good use of the downtown facility, she concluded. She added that the library’s own bike racks might be moved, but won’t be eliminated.

Rebecca Head said she’s thrilled that this is happening. UM has already signed an agreement, she noted, “and when the university feels that liability issues are taken care of, I think the Ann Arbor District Library can also feel like the liability issues have been taken care of.”

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the bike share agreement.

Committee Reports

The board has seven committees: communications, budget and finance, facilities, policy, director’s evaluation, executive, and strategic plan. Because membership on each committee consists of only three trustees, which is less than a quorum of the board, the meetings are not required to be open to the public under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. The board has the option of making its committee meetings open to the public, but has chosen not to do so.

On March 17, three committee reports were given – facilities, strategic plan, and communications. The facilities and communications reports are included in other sections of this article.

Committee Reports: Strategic Plan

Nancy Kaplan, chair of the strategic plan committee, reported that the committee met on Feb. 25. Other committee members are Rebecca Head and Barbara Murphy. They discussed the history of AADL’s strategic initiatives, and the process of developing an updated strategic plan. The current strategic plan runs through 2015.

She quoted from the introduction to the 2004-2010 strategic plan, which describes it as “a guide that helps inform decisions and focus energy. It does not supercede current policies or any laws governing district library practices. It is a flexible, living document that will be visible and updated annually.”

With that in mind, Kaplan said, the committee decided to keep the current strategic initiatives. Each initiative includes goals and projects, so those will be updated with input from staff and a citizens survey, she said. The committee’s next meeting is on April 21. The committee’s charge is to finish its work by December, she noted, “and we plan to do that.”

Library Stats

Each month, the board is provided with library statistics in five categories: Collections, users, visits, usage and participation. The data is compared to year-ago figures, when available.

AADL collections data: February 2014.

AADL users data: February 2014.

AADL visits data: February 2014.

AADL usage data: February 2014.

AADL participation data: February 2014.

Financial Report

Ken Nieman – the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – gave a brief report on the February 2014 financial statements. [.pdf of financial report]

Through Feb. 28, the library has received 97.6% of its budgeted tax receipts. The library had $11.9 million in unrestricted cash at the end of February, with a fund balance of $8.44 million.

Three line items – purchased services, software, and copier expenses – are over budget, but are expected to come back in line by the end of AADL’s fiscal year on June 30, according to Nieman.

Nieman also noted that during February, the library received $40,000 from the nonprofit Friends of the AADL, which raises money primarily by operating a used bookshop in the basement of the downtown library.

Board discussion was brief. Margaret Leary said she wanted to underscore the generosity of FAADL. Every year, the group gives the library at least $100,000 in total, she noted. Rebecca Head agreed, saying that the board is very appreciative. Jan Barney Newman praised FAADL’s work at marketing and operating the bookshop.

Zach Steindler.

Public Commentary

Only one person spoke during public commentary on March 17. Zach Steindler told the board he was a resident of Ann Arbor, and he thanked the library for providing such excellent service.

He said he was a small business owner, and he knows that their work is often a very thankless job. [Steindler is co-founder of Olark.com.]

Steindler said he uses AADL about 4-5 times a month. “I might not be the most frequent user, but I think it’s pretty great,” he said.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell.

Next regular meeting: Monday, April 21, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

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Rendering of proposed new entry at downtown Ann Arbor library, located at 343 S. Fifth Ave. (Image by InForm Studio.)

A vote to continue with the project followed a presentation by Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio, the architecture firm that previously designed AADL’s Traverwood branch. A final design will likely be brought forward for approval at the board’s April 21 meeting, after a public forum in mid-March. Update: The forum is scheduled for Thursday, March 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the downtown building.

The entrance would continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. The plan described by Lavigne includes replacing the existing teal strip that wraps around the front of the building – above the doors and windows – with a “concrete skin” panel. Wood paneling would be used in the ceiling of the outside walkway adjacent to the building. Sloping entry walkways would be located on the north side from the Library Lane parking structure and on the south side from William Street, with steps in front leading to South Fifth Avenue. Additional elements include landscaping, a bench, handrails and other features that visually link the library to the adjacent city-owned Library Lane.

The north side of the front facade, closest to Library Lane, would also include a large, translucent sign – made of glass or cast resin – that would be placed between existing brick columns, creating a screen along part of the walkway on that side of the building. The sign would be lit from the inside, with additional lighting along the walkway, to create a glowing effect.

It was that sign element that drew some criticism and concern at the board’s Feb. 17 meeting, primarily from Ed Surovell. He cautioned against creating any kind of shelter, saying it would simply be “an inviting nuisance.” AADL director Josie Parker acknowledged the concern, saying that she had discussed the issue with the library’s security staff as well. She told the board that no matter how the area is designed, security issues will always be a factor and would be handled as they are now, by security staff.

In other action at the board meeting, trustees approved revisions to more than a dozen sections of the AADL policy manual, and voted to create a new committee to help develop the next strategic plan, for 2015-2020. That planning effort had been the focus of a Feb. 3, 2014 board retreat.

Board members also got a brief update on the agreement for a new bike share program called ArborBike, which trustees will likely be asked to approve at their March 17 meeting. It relates to a bike station that will be located on the northern end of the downtown library’s property.

During her director’s report, Josie Parker told the board that the downtown library will be a site for the Living Lab Initiative, a project funded by the National Science Foundation. AADL will be the first public library to be involved in this project, and researchers will be working in the youth department through the end of September.

The board also heard from two people during public commentary: Changming Fan of TiniLite World Inc., who expressed interest in working with the library; and Jamie Vander Broek, a University of Michigan librarian and homeowner who described several reasons why she appreciated AADL. She concluded her remarks by saying: “I love paying my taxes for this library.”

Downtown Library Entrance

The issue of renovating the front entrance of the downtown building arose in the summer of 2013 during a board committee report. At the board’s Aug. 19, 2013 meeting, Margaret Leary, chair of the facilities committee, reported that the committee had received a request from AADL director Josie Parker to pursue options for the front entrance. Parker had told the committee that the building’s front doors had been breaking frequently and are unreliable. The plan was for Parker to get cost estimates from an architect to be vetted by the committee before bringing a proposal to the full board.

In addition to Leary, facilities committee members are Jan Barney Newman and Ed Surovell.

Although other infrastructure projects have been undertaken at the downtown building, located at 343 S. Fifth Ave., this would be the first highly visible renovation since a November 2012 bond proposal was defeated by voters. That proposal would have provided funding for the demolition of the downtown library and construction of a new library on that same site.

Downtown Library Entrance: Facilities Committee Report

During her report from the facilities committee on Feb. 17, Leary told trustees that Parker had brought forward the issue of the downtown library entrance, and the committee had discussed it. The front doors have corroded over the years, and need to be replaced. The initial question was whether to just buy new doors, she said, or to try to improve the entire entry.

The committee decided that it wanted to pursue improving the entry, and had agreed that Parker should consult with InForm Studio, a firm that the library has used in the past. InForm designed the Traverwood branch, and Leary described their work as innovative and creative. For that project, InForm had looked at all of the library’s internal processes in order to develop its design for the branch, she said, and even suggested changes in the way the library had traditionally operated.

Margaret Leary, chair of the AADL board’s facilities committee.

The first thing that InForm was asked to do, Leary said, was to look at whether the entry should remain at its current orientation, facing South Fifth Avenue on the west, or be moved to the north of the building, facing the Library Lane underground parking structure. Leary noted that a north entrance would have been used if the library had built a new building.

But when the committee considered the consequences of moving the entrance now, in terms of the amount of usable space on the first floor, they decided against it. It would have taken all the space used by the existing teen room, she said, and the entire first floor would have been reorganized, as well as possibly some things in the basement and other floors.

Leary reported that she, Parker and board chair Prue Rosenthal also had met with three representatives of the city’s commission on disability issues. It was a follow-up to a letter that the commission had sent to the library with concerns about the existing entrance, and ideas to enhance it. [.pdf of November 2013 letter from Linda Evans, chair of the commission on disability issues] Some of those ideas will be acted upon, Leary said.

InForm was asked to come up with a redesign for the entire entrance – including the steps in front of the library, and the sloped walkways.

Leary said the committee wants to hold a public forum on the project sometime in mid-March, at a date to be determined. Architects from InForm will make a presentation, and members of the facilities committee and library staff will be on hand to get feedback. Other board members will be welcome to attend too, she said. It will likely be held in the evening.

Downtown Library Entrance: Presentation

Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio began his presentation by noting that nine years ago, the firm was interviewing with AADL to be the architect for the Traverwood branch. He called that “the project that just keeps giving,” because of the publicity it receives. People love hearing about the wood, he said. [Background on the building is featured in a video called "Up From Ashes: The Making of the Traverwood Branch."]

Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio (standing) talks with AADL board members Ed Surovell and Margaret Leary.

He described how the proposed design was developed, saying he had started by sitting outside the library trying to get a feel for how people are using the space. Some of the challenges include a lack of identity in the current building, and the need to create something “that tells you where you are,” he said. There’s a sign at the top of the building, but otherwise it’s hard to tell that it’s a library, he said. At night the building’s use is more visual, because you can see inside through the front windows. But generally, unless you know that it’s a library, “it’s really kind of a hard building to identify,” Lavigne said.

He noted that there were some “dark pockets” around the main entrance, as well as concerns about security and accessibility. Those were two high-priority items that InForm wanted to address in its design.

They decided to start at AADL’s property line, and not address the front step that the city of Ann Arbor put in, he said, or the existing slope of the city sidewalk, which Lavigne said does not meet code. He added that everything currently on AADL property does conform to code.

The proposal calls for sloped walkways coming from the north and south sides of the property, sloping at 3% – rising one foot for every 30 feet of length. It’s a very subtle slope that doesn’t require handrails, he said. However, the design includes placing handrails on both sides for support.

Lavigne described the current entrance as giving a sense of a vast expanse of concrete. There’s not a lot of green space or softer materials like wood. So the proposed design includes a planting bed on the north end, next to a new proposed sign. The grasses and wildflowers in that space would be watered in part by diverting rainwater from the overhead canopy.

Rendering by InForm Studio, showing a proposed design for the front entrance of the Ann Arbor downtown library at 343 S. Fifth Ave. On the left is a proposed wooden bench facing the street.

A large, lit sign on that north end clearly would mark the building as the Ann Arbor District Library, he said. Another sign would be added toward the center of the entrance, in front of the building, and the flagpole would be shifted slightly closer to the doors.

The design includes five main materials, Lavigne said, though there’s still a lot of flexibility in that. The existing teal metal panel that wraps around the front of the building – above the doors and windows – would be replaced with a rain screen made of cement fiber called fibreC. He described it as a cast concrete plank that’s durable, lightweight and fire resistant, with “high eco-value.” The existing framing would be used to mount it.

The large lit sign on the northern end could be made of tempered, laminated glass or a translucent 1-inch-thick cast resin called 3form, which was used at the Traverwood branch at the main circulation desk. There are pros and cons for each material, he said. It would be lit from within, and there would also be lighting on the ceiling behind it – over the walkway – so you could see shapes of people walking through the passageway. “There wouldn’t be a complete visual cutoff,” he said.

Other materials used in the overall design would include some concrete and stainless steel, tying into the materials used on the Library Lane parking structure. The ceiling of the entry overhang would be made of tongue-and-groove wood, to add some warmth to the entry. A wood bench would also be added in the front, facing South Fifth Avenue.

The doorways would be reconfigured, using four double-doors. Lavigne said they’re considering different options for those doors, including a “balanced” door that would be easier to open. However, that type of door is roughly 6-10 times more expensive than a normal door. So maybe only one set of doors would be balanced doors, he said.

Downtown Library Entrance: Board Discussion

Nancy Kaplan asked if an amount for the project’s cost has been established. Josie Parker replied that she’d like to keep it to about $250,000. But that figure was floated initially without knowing what the project entails, she noted. The final amount will depend on decisions that the board makes. “It’s always a process,” Parker said, adding that after being involved in building three branches, she’s learned that “it’s never the first figure.”

Jan Barney Newman, a member of the AADL board’s facilities committee.

Jan Barney Newman noted that it will be much less expensive than moving the entrance to the building’s north side. Margaret Leary added that cost wasn’t the only factor in the decision of how to orient the entrance, though it was an important element.

Rebecca Head asked if it would be possible to use pervious concrete. Cory Lavigne replied that not a lot of concrete will be used and most of the areas that include concrete aren’t exposed, but they could look into it. He noted that another option is to include heated sidewalks in the sloped sections leading up to the entrance.

Kaplan asked about the large lit sign, wondering if it would be possible to see the shadow of someone walking behind it. She was concerned that the passageway behind it might feel “tunnel-y” to walk through. Lavigne told the board that his firm would need to do a full-scale mockup to get a better idea of how it would look. They plan to use existing brick columns as the frame, and would need to decide on a level of translucency. With the light pouring out of the sign, plus two picture windows on the building looking into the library, plus new lighting in the soffit, the walkway between the sign and the building would be very bright, he said.

Prue Rosenthal asked about the price for that sign. Lavigne explained that glass would be cheaper. The 3form product costs about $350 per square foot, compared to about $40 for glass. But glass would include other hardware, he noted, bringing the total cost for glass to about $120 per square foot. There would be other advantages and disadvantages to weigh in using the materials, too.

Leary said she always has wanted signs that are visible from a relatively far distance. “We are sitting here in the midst of nothing,” she said. There’s currently no building directly to the north, where the Library Lane underground parking structure is located, and there’s nothing across the street at the former Y lot. Why not take advantage of that and have a sign somewhere high on the building? “What I would like to achieve is a library building that is visible and labeled as a library from as far away as possible,” she said.

Parker noted that the kind of sign Leary was describing hadn’t been part of the scope of work that InForm was asked to address. They could talk about whether it’s something they want to add, Parker said.

Rendering by InForm Studio.

Rosenthal wanted to know more about the sign that is intended to be placed more toward the center front of the building. Lavigne described it as a folded stainless steel plate that sits off a concrete wall by about 2 inches, with a cutout of the address in front. It would have an LED light so that at night, the letters and numbers would be backlit. There’s no ledge for people to stuff garbage into, he said. Ed Surovell noted that it’s not garbage they’re worried about. [The downtown library has had problems in the past with the front area being used for drug drops.]

Regarding the panel/rain screen being proposed to replace the existing teal panel, Leary told Lavigne that it looks like the skin of the Justice Center in Ann Arbor, next to city hall. “That building has not been uniformly….” she then stopped, and added: “I’ve said enough.” Lavigne indicated that there are other options for color.

Leary also was concerned about the proposed stairs at the front of the library, which are deeper than typical stairs, and curved. Even though the existing stairs and ramps conform to code, they are perceived by some people as being difficult to navigate, she said. “I would hate to deliberately put something there that would be perceived the same way,” Leary added. Noting that you can never control how something will be perceived, she wondered if a more straightforward design for the stairs would be a better option.

Lavigne replied that the idea was to create a kind of “monumental” stairs with the larger tread, so that it might become more of a gathering space rather than having it just be a pathway. But he could see the concern, and said it’s an easy change to make.

Rendering by InForm Studio, showing some curved “monumental” stairs at the downtown library entrance.

Kaplan asked if there was any thought given to moving the doors forward. Lavigne indicated that they started the design at the existing envelope of the building, so that they wouldn’t need to deal with any interior mechanical or electrical infrastructure.

In response to another query, Lavigne said that there will be more lighting in the ceilings and walls, and the materials used for the entryway will be steel and stainless steel, so that will add to the brightness as well.

Returning to the issue of the large translucent sign at the north end of the building, Newman wondered if there would be space for “nighttime campers” to fit. Lavigne explained that each end of the two faces would be closed off with a stainless steel plate, so no one could get in between the two faces – that is, they couldn’t get inside the sign.

Newman clarified that she was asking about the space in the walkway, between the sign and the building. Lavigne said one way to deal with security is to provide as much light as possible, and to ensure that there would be enough translucency to see the shapes of people behind the sign. No one could really lurk there, he said.

Surovell said he didn’t think the level of translucency solved the problem. “It’s a shelter. I don’t care if the glass is clear and it’s lit to beat the band. A shelter in the city, in the winter or in the rain, is a shelter. It is an inviting nuisance, and it only seems to me to emphasize the problem that we have already. We have a covered space that serves as a point of harassment to some of our friends, to some of our patrons, and I don’t understand why I would create a wind shelter, which is the real issue in the winter.”

If he were to do something like that, Surovell continued, he’d want to be able to close it off when the library wasn’t open. “And to be frank, we have problems during ordinary business hours – hot, cold, dry, rain.” He noted that the original architect for the building, Alden B. Dow, had a fascination for indents. But such indents are an “attractive shelter, and I don’t know why we’d build another one,” Surovell said.

Rebecca Head.

Rosenthal expressed concern with people hanging out there during the day, causing some patrons to be afraid. Lavigne said these were valid concerns, and that the design tries to address the issue by making it brighter in that area than it is now. “We’re trying to change the environment in its entirety,” he said, trying to activate the space to be used by more people – adding a bench, for example, where people can sit and read a book or wait for their ride. The intent is to work with the bones of the building, trying to make it as attractive, vibrant and light as possible within the budget they’ve been given.

Leary said she loved the “light box” sign, but understands the concerns about security. If it does end up being a problem, what would the library do about it – what’s the fix? she asked.

The fix, Parker replied, would be the same as what the library does currently. Even though there’s no wind shelter, people still hang out under the overhang. The library’s security staff circulates out there on a regular basis, she said, and ask people to move along. “I don’t know that anything we do will change that,” Parker said. She added that these plans have been shown to the library’s security and facilities staff.

Kaplan clarified with Lavigne that the sign wouldn’t provide structural support. In that case, Kaplan said, it wouldn’t need to go from top to bottom.

Rosenthal said that in light of Parker’s feedback, she’d be inclined to defer to the administration and the front-line security and facilities staff. If they are comfortable with it, she said, that’s a factor.

Ed Surovell, a member of the AADL board’s facilities committee.

Parker said she wanted to the board to understand that by putting in a bench, handrails and steps, the library is creating a “front porch, which is the only way in and only way out of a very busy building. There isn’t any condition that we can create that will eliminate the need for security.”

There isn’t a bench in front now, so adding one might create new issues, Parker noted. But it will also allow people to sit there and wait for a ride. “We’re trying to make the best possible situation with what we have, and make it as attractive and inviting as we can for far more people than it is attractive and inviting for now.”

Head cautioned that they shouldn’t make perfect be the enemy of the good. She supported bringing in some comforts for patrons, while recognizing that it might bring in some problems, too.

Kaplan suggested putting dividers on the bench, to prevent people from lying down.

As the discussion wrapped up, Rosenthal outlined the next steps for this project. Based on feedback from the board, InForm would work with the facilities committee to tweak its design. A public forum will be scheduled to get additional feedback in mid-March. A new design will likely be brought to the board for its April 21 meeting.

The board then voted on a resolution that authorized the project to move forward.

Outcome: On a voice vote, the board approved moving ahead on this project.

Committee Appointments

The Feb. 17 agenda included a resolution to create a committee to lead the process for developing the 2015-2020 strategic plan, and to appoint members to the director’s evaluation committee.

AADL board committees consist of no more than three trustees. Because that does not constitute a quorum of the seven-member board, the committee meetings are generally not subject to the state’s Open Meetings Act and are not open to the public.

Committee Appointments: Strategic Plan

The need for more strategic planning at the committee level emerged during the board’s Feb. 3, 2014 retreat. On Feb. 17, the resolution establishing a special committee described its charge as leading the process to develop a strategic plan for 2015-2020.

Nancy Kaplan was named chair of the special committee for strategic planning.

Noting that the term of the committee runs through 2014, Margaret Leary asked whether that reflects the hope that this work will be finished by the end of December.

AADL director Josie Parker replied that the committee term reflects the tenure of the board president. At their first meeting of each year, trustees elect board officers, including a president, to serve for that calendar year. Prue Rosenthal serves as the current president, through 2014.

Leary rephrased her question, asking whether the intent is to finish the strategic committee’s work before 2015. Yes, Rosenthal said.

Parker told the board that it’s never taken more than six months to develop a strategic plan.

Outcome: On a voice vote, the board created a special strategic planning committee.

Rosenthal then nominated the following members to serve on the strategic planning committee through 2014: Nancy Kaplan (chair), Barbara Murphy and Rebecca Head.

There was no additional discussion.

Outcome: On a voice vote, members were appointed to the strategic planning committee.

Committee Appointments: Director’s Evaluation

Rosenthal nominated the following trustees to the director’s evaluation committee for the annual review of AADL director Josie Parker: Barbara Murphy (chair), Jan Barney Newman and Rebecca Head.

Ed Surovell asked if this is a standing committee. Parker clarified that it’s a standing committee, as described in the board’s bylaws.

Surovell complained that the board wasn’t given advance notice about this. “I have some objections that I do not wish to discuss in public,” he said, adding that he didn’t want to be the sole vote against it, so he’d support the resolution. He indicated that he would discuss it with Rosenthal at a later time.

Outcome: On a voice vote, the board approved appointments to the director’s evaluation committee.

Policy Revisions

A resolution to approve revisions to a set of Ann Arbor District Library policies was on the board’s Feb. 17 agenda. The proposed revisions had been presented to the board at its meeting on Jan. 20, 2014.

The changes affect more than a dozen sections of the AADL policy manual, which covers a wide range of issues spanning overall library philosophy to circulation policies and rules of behavior for patrons. Among the changes include a new policy to offer free library cards to non-resident students and staff at state-sanctioned schools within AADL’s district.

The board’s policy committee had already reviewed all revisions that were proposed by AADL staff and vetted by legal counsel.

Revisions were made in the following sections of the policy handbook. [Each topic in this list includes a .pdf file with the old policy, a marked-up version showing changes, and the new policy.]:

• AADL philosophy
• “Freedom to Read” policy
• Privacy statement
• Internet use policy
• MichNet acceptable use policy
• Interlibrary loan services
• Photocopying/fax services & fees
• Circulation policy
• Confidentiality policy
• Requests for access to records from general public
• Display/distribution of materials by outside groups
• Rules of behavior in public sectors
• Unattended child policy
• Equal employment opportunity & affirmative action policy

The board was also asked to eliminate five policies, which have been incorporated into other policies or were outdated: (1) freedom to view; (2) providing access to computer-based resources; (3) release of minor child’s records; (4) fines for damaged or lost materials; and (5) business use of facilities.

Discussion was brief. Margaret Leary thanked staff and the policy committee for their work. Others noted that many of the policies had been out of date.

Outcome: In separate unanimous votes, the board approved the policy revisions and eliminated five policies.

Committee Reports

The board has six committees, not including the new committee created during the Feb. 17 meeting. The committees are: communications, budget and finance, facilities, policy, director’s evaluation, and executive. Only one committee report was made on Feb. 17.

Committee Reports: Facilities

In addition to her report regarding the downtown library entrance (see above), Margaret Leary – chair of the facilities committee – gave an update on the bike share program.

She reported that the committee has looked at the most recent draft of the bike share agreement. The board had previously discussed the arrangement – trustees were briefed on the program at their Aug. 19, 2013 meeting. AADL has been waiting for the University of Michigan to finalize its agreement with the Clean Energy Coalition, which is managing the program. When that happens, Leary said, AADL will move forward with an agreement that will come before the board.

Parker added that UM has signed a master agreement with CEC, and AADL is now reviewing its own agreement regarding a bike share station that would be located on the northern end of the downtown library property. AADL’s agreement will mimic the master agreement, she said. Parker reported that she and Ken Nieman, the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations, are recommending to the facilities committee that the library participate in the bike share program. It’s likely that the facilities committee will bring forward a resolution at the board’s March 17 meeting to approve the agreement, Parker said.

Responding to a query from Ed Surovell, Parker said that the documents have already been reviewed by the library’s legal counsel. Surovell requested that the facilities committee receive a formal transmittal letter from counsel.

By way of additional background, the CEC and other supporters of the program issued a press release on Feb. 5, 2014 announcing its logo and name: ArborBike. [.pdf of press release]

ArborBike logo.

Financial Report

Ken Nieman – the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – gave a brief report on the January 2014 financial statements. [.pdf of financial report]

Through Jan. 31, the library has received 97.4% of its budgeted tax receipts. The library had $12.7 million in unrestricted cash at the end of January, with a fund balance of $8.26 million.

During the month, the library made a payment of about $74,000 to the state of Michigan pension system. This was a pass-through amount, Nieman reported, because the library also received a payment of the same amount – recorded in the “state aid” line item. “It’s the state’s way of helping out the pension system,” he said. The same kind of payments are being made to schools in the state as well. It’s likely that a budget adjustment will be required later in the year to reflect this transaction, he said.

Outcome: This is not a voting item.

Director’s Report

AADL director Josie Parker told that board that it was a pleasure “with a level of regret” that Celeste Choate has been named the new director of the Urbana Free Library in Urbana, Illinois. Choate has served as associate director of services, collections and access at AADL since 2007. She was part of getting the collection ready for the opening of the Traverwood branch that year, and was instrumental in bringing the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled to AADL. Her “joie de vivre” is a wonderful positive attribute for this kind of work, Parker said. “That attitude, I think, will be greatly appreciated in Urbana and greatly missed by this library.”

Josie Parker, AADL director.

Choate’s last day with AADL is Feb. 28, and she’ll be starting at the Urbana library on April 1. She did not attend the Feb. 17 board meeting.

Parker told trustees that Choate is the fifth AADL manager in the past 12 years who has left to become director at another public library. “That’s something that I think we should all be proud of, in terms of one more contribution that AADL makes to the profession, and I think we should see it that way,” Parker said.

“We wouldn’t want it any other way,” Ed Surovell replied. “It’s a high honor to attract people like that, who can develop to the point where they can go run their own library.”

Parker also told the board that the library had been approached by Craig Smith, a social scientist at the University of Michigan’s Conceptual Development Lab, who is also a father who uses the library. He wanted to know if the library would be interested in being a site for the Living Lab Initiative, a project funded by the National Science Foundation. Typically, the sites are children’s museums, Parker said, including the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum. AADL would be the first public library to be involved in this national project.

Researchers will be working in the youth department of the downtown library through the end of September, Parker said. It’s a voluntary process with children over four years old, and a parent must be present. Issues include how a child perceives the difference between “fair” and “just.” Parker said that some of the research will help AADL develop its programs and services for families and children. It’s an interesting opportunity for AADL, she said, “and because it’s local, we decided to try it.”

Parker also noted that the 10th anniversary of Malletts Creek opening will be celebrated on March 22 at that branch. It was the first new branch that had been opened in over 30 years, and she hoped that board members could attend the event to mark its anniversary.

She also observed that 12 years ago this month, she became AADL’s director. “It’s still just the best job in Ann Arbor and in my profession,” Parker said.

Library Stats

Eli Neiburger – AADL’s associate director of IT and product development – gave a presentation on library statistics, providing details in five categories for the month of January: Collections, users, visits, usage and participation. The data is compared to year-ago figures, when available.

AADL collections data: January 2014.

AADL users data: January 2014.

AADL visits data: January 2014.

AADL usage data: January 2014.

AADL participation data: January 2014.

Among the highlights, Neiburger noted that the weather in January affected door counts and event attendance. One Sunday, the library was closed due to bad weather. He pointed out that despite the weather, there was a huge turnout for the event featuring Ruta Sepetys, author of “Between Shades Of Gray,” this year’s Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads selection. Online usage was up during the month, because when the weather is bad “you can stay home and use the web,” Neiburger said.

Neiburger also reported that AADL experimented with paying to boost a post on Facebook. AADL has about 3,300 followers on Facebook, but an average post is presented to only 150-200 people. It’s very inexpensive to boost, he said – about $50 per post. “It worked, but it’s a little sketchy.” Neiburger said he’d provide more details about this effort at next month’s board meeting.

Neiburger also presented some of the “top Tweets” from the past two months that mentioned @AADL, including this one from Alex Goldman, a producer from NPR’s On the Media who grew up in Ann Arbor:

Alex Goldman Tweet.

Public Commentary

Two people spoke during public commentary at the start of the Feb. 17 meeting.

Changming Fan of TiniLite World.

Changming Fan told the board that his company, TiniLite World Inc., has been registered in Ann Arbor since 1996. The firm is the innovator, producer and supplier of new technology called TiniLite, he said. It’s a lighting display using LED lights, cell phones, and wireless Internet.

Fan congratulated AADL on achieving a five-star ranking, and said he’d like to do something to make it even better and help the library face its challenges. AADL is at the frontier, and that brings new trouble, he said.

He told the board that he’s talked with Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and production, and he hopes that the library will consider hosting workshops to make products and possibly even sell them. He called it transforming Read-It-Yourself to Do-It-Yourself, saying it’s the “American spirit.” Fan wants to contribute his company’s technology to this community.

Fan also noted that almost everything is made in China – and that’s a challenge for America, but AADL could be a leader in helping change that, he said. A lot of leaders in the state have supported manufacturing, he said, but nothing has happened. So he wants to work with AADL to be the leader of a social, mobile and local movement. He concluded by again thanking the board for AADL’s work.

Also addressing the board was Jamie Vander Broek, who introduced herself as a librarian working at the University of Michigan. She’s also a homeowner, and wanted to share some recent positive impressions she’s had of AADL.

Jamie Vander Broek.

She attended the FoolMoon event last spring in downtown Ann Arbor, and encountered an area where people were playing a game – and “of course it turned out to be something that AADL had organized.” It was part of a cool outdoor event, and when she sees things that are cool, interesting or on the bleeding edge, “AADL is always involved,” Vander Broek said.

Another example she gave is Nerd Nite, where people share things that they’re passionate about. One of her friends who works at General Electric developing mobile ultrasound devices gave a presentation at Nerd Nite and did an ultrasound of his stomach while he was talking, she said. The event had faced some organizational challenges, however, so she was glad to see that AADL has stepped in and will help “keep the wheels greased and in motion.”

She also noted that in her experience as a librarian, it’s difficult to negotiate licenses with companies that “have zero desire to give us anything for free.” So it was really exciting to her to see that AADL has successfully negotiated an agreement with Ghostly International, a local music firm. The deal will provide access to Ghostly’s music catalog.

Finally, Vander Broek told the board that part of her job is to do traditional library services. She staffs a reference desk and answers questions via online chat. Recently she got a query about an old murder case in Ann Arbor, and it gave her the opportunity to introduce the student asking the question to AADL’s Old News archives. She thought it was cool that AADL excels at traditional library services, like providing access to digitized archives of newspapers, as well as things that people wouldn’t expect a library to be involved in, like Nerd Nite and the Ghostly International licensing deal.

“I love paying my taxes for this library,” she concluded.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell. Also AADL director Josie Parker.

Absent: Barbara Murphy.

Next regular meeting: Monday, March 17, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

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Rendering of new entrance design for the downtown location of the Ann Arbor District Library.

The vote followed a presentation of the redesign by Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio, which is handling the project. The architecture firm designed AADL’s Traverwood branch. A final design will likely be brought forward for approval at the board’s April meeting, following a public forum in mid-March.

The entrance would continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. The plan described by Lavigne includes replacing the existing teal strip that wraps around the front of the building – above the doors and windows – with a “concrete skin” panel to act as a rain screen. Wood paneling would be used in the ceiling of the outside walkway adjacent to the building. Sloping entry walkways would be located on the north side from the Library Lane parking structure and on the south side from William Street, with steps in front leading to South Fifth Avenue. Additional elements include landscaping, a bench, handrails and other features that visually link the library to the adjacent Library Lane.

The north side of the front facade, closest to Library Lane, would also include a large, translucent sign – made of glass or cast resin – that would be placed between existing brick columns, creating a screen along part of the walkway on that side of the building. The sign would be lit from the inside, with additional lighting along the walkway, to create a glowing effect.

It was that sign element that drew some criticism and concern at the board’s Feb. 17 meeting, primarily from Ed Surovell. He cautioned against creating any kind of shelter, saying it would simply be “an inviting nuisance.” AADL director Josie Parker acknowledged the concern, saying that she had discussed the issue with the library’s security staff as well. She told the board that no matter how the area is designed, security issues will always be a factor and would be handled as they are now, by security staff.

The issue of renovating the front entrance of the downtown building arose in the summer of 2013 during a board committee report. At the board’s Aug. 19, 2013 meeting, Margaret Leary, chair of the facilities committee, reported that the committee had received a request from Parker to pursue options for the front entrance. Parker had told the committee that the building’s front doors had been breaking frequently and are unreliable. The plan was for Parker to get cost estimates from an architect to be vetted by the committee before bringing a proposal to the full board.

On Feb. 17, Parker told the board that she wanted to keep the project’s cost at no more than $250,000, but she noted that estimates are difficult to make at this stage.

Based on feedback from the board, the architect will meet again with the board’s facilities committee and refine the design. In addition to Leary, committee members are Jan Barney Newman and Ed Surovell. Leary reported that a public forum to get input will be held sometime in mid-March, with a date to be determined. The board is expected to vote on the final design at its April 21 meeting.

Although other infrastructure projects have been undertaken at that building, located at 343 S. Fifth Ave., this would be the first highly visible renovation since the November 2012 bond proposal was defeated at the polls. That proposal would have provided funding for the demolition of the downtown library and construction of a new library on that same site.

This brief was filed from the fourth-floor boardroom of the downtown library at 343 S. Fifth Ave. A more detailed report will follow: [link]